Event Highlights from our Instagram Panel

The Networx Brisbane meet up in October aimed to give attendees insight into the elements of a successful Instagram account. Instagram is currently one of the most influential social media platforms for businesses and individuals seeking to connect with customers and clients; however, it can be difficult to be heard amidst the noise. The expert panel was able to break down the ways different entities can build brand engagement through imagery and stories.

Elizabeth kicked off the Instagram forum with the quote from a New York Times article that declared that businesses must be paying attention to the rise and rise of the social media giant.

The first half of the night was dedicated to understanding the uses, opportunities and differences that Instagram offers in comparison to other social network platforms.

Ash Daniec, one of the most requested panelists for Networx this year, was the first to delve into her key tips for #instasuccess, musing that the perfect page must be heartfelt, user-friendly, and appeal to followers’ emotive core. Ash is well-known for her boutique studios’ Instagram feed, which is a poignant visual accompaniment to her work in the studio. She explained that the most important thing is “… reaching out to our community on a daily basis.”

Jujitsu master and renowned creative, Kory McAvoy, impressed upon the audience the need for authenticity in the social media landscape. Kory attested to the value of a “congruent brand experience” that builds brand trust, loyalty and community. Before hitting ‘post’ on any content, she encourages businesses to first consider this:

“What is it that you stand for?”

The brains behind Brisbane Broncos’ media, Nathan Biddle, claimed he and his team regularly ask themselves a similar question. Nathan explained that they must always consider what the Broncos fans want to see, what is iconic to the Broncos, and what they resonate with. It has become clear for his team that Instagram is a viable and valuable tool with which to communicate to their fan base, as their Instragram following grew rapidly while other platforms, sharing the same content, were not.

Once the benefits of the app were understood, the panelists offered insights into the specific content and processes that have lead to great success for their companies.

For the Brisbane Broncos, Instagram became an opportunity for fans to glimpse behind the scenes of the sporting world and into the lives of their heroes. Operating within guidelines surrounding commercials aspects, sponsors and NRL restrictions, Nathan and his team share images and videos of training, and coaches, players and locker rooms on game day. With the largest following in the NRL, it is clear that fans value the intimate insight into Broncos life.

For SoBa, content is conceived and planned months in advance. Ash and her team curate their visuals and messages through their Instagram feed, EDMs, and occasional influencer posts, which tell a consistent story over a month. When incorporating influencers into campaigns, Ash insists that each one comes from an organic, pre-established relationship, with a knowledge of the brand and good engagement on their feeds. On their Instagram posts, SoBa encourages client conversation through commenting and tagging, which often leads to increased engagement. Ash utilizes a system, which then tracks direct connections to sales from this engagement.

Kory reinstated the need for solid goals and objectives when setting out to incorporate Instagram in your organisation’s marketing mix. “You can’t just keep posting and sharing for the sake of it,” Kory affirmed. Without a clear view of your desired organisational outcomes, Kory insisted that energy can be wasted.

So, now for the #instaexperts to share their tricks of the trade.

When it comes to programs and apps that can make the most of your experience on Instagram, InShot was recommended for adding borders and filters to images, and Hootsuite and Buffer can assist in improving efficiency and consistency.